Void
by MaAnLi
Summary: Ichigo is kidnapped and tortured by Aizen, it's up to Ishida to help fix him. Trigger warning: Physical and emotional torture, graphic descriptions of violence, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal thoughts. Rating and tags may be subject to change. IshidaxIchigo
1. Eyes

Void

"Hey Ishida, wait up!"

Ishida looked back at the voice who called out to him, scoffed and kept walking. Ishida resented that voice. Ichigo came running up alongside him. "What the hell, why didn't you stop I know you heard me calling." Ichigo pants once he catches up. Ishida says nothing in response and just keeps walking, his eyes trained on the road in front of him, not acknowledging the orange haired boy next to him. "Ishida," Ichigo grabs his wrist and forces him to stop walking, "What the hell is up with you?"

Ishida glares at Ichigo upon being touched. He hated being near him, he hated hearing his voice, and he especially hated being grabbed by the soul reaper. "Nothing is 'up with me'" He states calmly as he takes his wrist back from Ichigo's grasp.

"Bullshit. You've been avoiding me all month."

"I have not been avoiding you, I have just been busy." Ishida replies. He knows it's a lie, he has been avoiding Ichigo.

"Seriously Ishida," Ichigo beginning to sound concerned. "Did I do something wrong? Or is something going on in your home life?"

Ishida hated how worried Ichigo was for him, he hated that he cared. "Nothing's wrong, as I said, I've just been busy."

Ichigo didn't believe him but dropped the subject anyway. They continued walking. "Are you going to follow me all the way home?" Ishida asked sounding annoyed.

"Well I figured since you've been to busy to hang out lately that now would be a good time to catch up." Ichigo smiled innocently at Ishida. He just grunts in response. "You should come train with me and the rest of the group sometime at Urahara's." Ichigo suggests, trying to fill the silence.

"I train by myself." Ishida responds.

"I know but it might be good to run some group simulations together and get used to each other's fighting style." Ichigo states.

"I have no problem adapting to other fighting styles." Ishida says proudly, "Besides we split up in most fights anyway."

"Come on there's no harm in training together, just come give it a try if you don't like it you can leave." Ichigo presses.

Ishida feels a nerve snap inside of him. Overwhelmed by the soul reapers presence, why couldn't Ichigo just leave him alone like everyone else does, why does he have to care? Sure he considers himself friends with Inoue-san, Kuchiki-san, and Sado-kun but he knows the only reason they are still friends is Ichigo. If he hadn't met them through Ichigo they still would have ignored them in class and gone about their lives without a second thought. Ishida balls up his fist, patience all but gone.

"Ishida, I'm worried about you." Ichigo finally says after a minute of silence. He reaches out to Ishida but before he connect his hand is smacked away

"Just leave me alone, Kurosaki." Ishida says finally and starts walking away from his startled peer.

"What the hell, Ishida?" Ichigo starts after him, trying to contain his frustration. "The hell is your problem?" He was almost yelling now.

Ishida spun around so quickly, catching Ichigo off guard, and was inches away from his face. "You."

"Wha-?"

"You are my problem Kurosaki." Ishida spits the words like venom. "Just leave me the fuck alone." Ishida tries to walk away again but this time Ichigo is determined to get an answer. He grabs Ishida's forearm firmly, holding him in place.

"What do you mean, what the hell is going on with you?" Ichigo demands, his words are fierce but his eyes are full of concern.

His damn eyes, Ishida thinks to himself, he hated those eyes just like he hated everything else about Ichigo. Deep chocolate orbs peer into his soul, under their gaze Ishida feels light and warm. He pushes that thought to the side. "Let go of me, Kurosaki." He speaks softly, diverting his gaze away from Ichigo's worried look.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." Ichigo replies just as softly.

Ishida squeezes his eyes shut, thinking about what he's going to say. What he would tell the boy grasping on to him. He decides to tell the truth consequences be damned. "Kurosaki," He whispers, meeting Ichigo's eyes again, strong cobalt blue clashing against rich deep ochre. "Kurosaki I-"

Before he can finish his sentence there's a large cracking noise, the ground shakes, and both of them can instantly feel the intense spiritual pressure.

They look up to see the large crack in the sky. In the mouth of the crevice stands the source of the spiritual pressure. All three traitorous Gotei Thirteen captains stand ready, Beside them stand five out of the ten Espada.

Before either of them have the opportunity to react Aizen points a finger at Ichigo, "Bakudō 61. Rikujōkōrō" He states. A spark or yellow energy burst from his fingers, summoning six beams of light that crash into Ichigo's midsection, paralyzing him.

"Kurosaki!" Ishida screams. Ichigo's eyes are wide and panicked, he can't move he can't speak but Ishida knows what he's trying to tell him and he won't do it. Ichigo's eyes plead for him to leave, to run and leave him behind.

"No." Ishida states glaring at Ichigo, he will not just abandon his friend. He knows the odds he's up against his best bet is to run away and hope that either they give up pursuit or reinforcements arrive. He grabs Ichigo and starts to run as fast as Hirenkyaku will take him but it's not enough, if it was just himself maybe he would have made it, but weighed down by Ichigo he's just not fast enough. Grimmjow appears in a flash by his side and knocks him away sending both Ishida and Ichigo flying, but Ishida refuses to let go, he holds on to Ichigo as tight as he can, slightly surprised that the kido does not interfere with his grasp. They crash into a nearby building, Ishida making sure he lands first as to protect Ichigo. He staggers to his feet weakly, but determined. He holds Ichigo close as he stares down the blue haired Espada. He tries to run again, this time switching directions at random and making his movements unpredictable. However it was no use, his opponent is faster, and it's only moments before he's thrown down again. As Ishida struggles to stand up, still clutching the soul reaper desperately, they meet eyes again. Ichigo looks on the verge of tears, watching helplessly as his friend is struck down again and again in an attempt to protect him. He tries his best to convey to Ishida to run, to save himself, that he'll be alright but Ishida just won't listen. "No. Goddamn it Kurosaki I'm not leaving you!" Ishida shouts. As Ishida slowly stands up he feels a sharp pain in his back. Ichigo's eyes go wide in terror. The world around Ishida starts spinning, he coughs and tastes the bitterness of blood.

Grimmjow smiles to himself, satisfied with his work. "Ya know," he drawls lazily as he unceremoniously yanks his blade out from Ishida's back, "You would have had a chance if you left his sorry ass behind." Ishida drops to his knees still clinging desperately to his friend. He can hardly breathe, he's shaking all over and everything feels cold. "Hell you would'a been a fun fight if you weren't weighed down by him, too bad." The Espada sighs.

Ichigo frantically looks into Ishida's eyes, watching as his friend slowly bleeds out. He can't move, he can't speak but he can feel Ishida's blood seeping into his school uniform.

Tosen approaches them calmly, heaving Ichigo from Ishida's firm grasp and throwing him over his shoulder, before heading back to where Aizen stood. "Dispose of him, Grimmjow, find your way back when you are done." Tosen demands dismissively.

"Sure thing, boss." Grimmjow says casually.

"This was easier than I expected." Gin says, his smile unnaturally wide. They walk back through the ominous crack in the sky which slams shut moments later. Ichigo is gone.

Ishida stares up at the sky defeated. He failed. Grimmjow stands over Ishida, blade drawn. "Come on, you could at least put up more of a fight." He whines, "Executing people is no fun."

"Then I'll spare you the trouble!" A voice calls out. In a flash Urahara appears in front of him. His face hidden by his hat, cane in hand, guarding the wounded Quincy from his attacker. "Can you stand, Ishida-san?" He asks.

"Yes," Ishida replies. He's not sure if he actually can but he'll try nonetheless. He struggles to get his feet under him and fights to find his balance but manages to get upright, clutching his chest in pain.

"Good." Urahara says, he turns back to the blue haired Espada. "Sorry but unfortunately we can't afford to stick around. Feel free to follow us if you wish but if you do you'll find yourself sorely outnumbered." He smiles politely, before wrapping his arm around Ishida to help support him and then flash stepping them both away.

When they get back to Urahara's shop Ishida is barely conscious. They immediately lay him down and begin healing Kido on him, as well as calling everyone over to talk about what just transpired.

"Ishida-san, you've lost a lot of blood but I need you to stay conscious just a little longer and tell me what happened." Urahara says calmly as Tessai works on healing him, once Inoue arrives it will be much easier to repair the damage.

"We were walking home from school when the sky split and we felt their spiritual pressure. There were eight of them, I think they were expecting resistance. The three former captains and five arrancars." Ishida recounts, his voice dry and horse. "Before we had a chance to act Aizen shot Kurosaki with a binding kido paralyzing him. I tried to grab him and run but I wasn't fast enough-" He coughs up some blood. "They took him and left the Espada to 'dispose of me'"

"I see," Urahara murmurs deep in thought. "You did well, Ishida-san" He says smiling solemnly.

"I failed, they took him. It's my fault." Ishida whispers, drifting closer to losing consciousness.

"No, you did not failed. There was no way you could have taken on that large of a force and succeeded. Don't worry, we won't leave Kurosaki-san to suffer alone at their hands." Ishida hears Urahara say before finally drifting to sleep.

When Ishida wakes up Inoue is by his side healing him. He focuses for a moment, sensing the spiritual pressures near him. Sado, Rukia and Renji are in the sitting room, Urahara and Yoruichi are out on in the main shop.

"Ishida-kun!" Inoue exclaims seeing him stir, "How are you feeling?"

"Better now, thanks Inoue-san." He says as he sits up.

"You should really stay laying down and rest for a little longer, you were hurt pretty bad." She comments worriedly.

"I'm alright," Ishida rasps, "I've had worse. Besides we have to go, we have to go save Kurosaki." He starts to get up hurriedly.

Inoue just looks away, "We can't go save Kurosaki-kun," She whispers, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "The soul society has forbidden us from entering Hueco Mundo."

"So what? Damn the soul society, Urahara-san can get us in just like he got us into the soul society when we rescued Kuchiki-san."

"The soul society decided to handle the situation themselves, they deployed a small elite team to go investigate in Hueco Mundo. We are waiting to hear back." She states, "They have forbidden any outside forces from entering and interfering with their investigation."

"So that's it? We just sit back and wait?!" Ishida exclaims beginning to become frantic. "I can't just do nothing! This is my fault I have to fix this!" He stands up and walks out of the room briskly, leaving Inoue.

"Ishida-kun!" She calls after him.

Ishida enters the sitting room where Sado, Rukia and Renji are drinking tea.

"Ishida!" Rukia exclaims as he bursts into the room. "What are you doing up, you should be resting."

"I don't have time to rest, we have to go." He states.

"Ishida, we can't go." Renji replies.

"Why? Because the soul society say so? That hasn't stopped us in the past." He argues.

"This is different, the soul society has taken action and launched a stealth team to infiltrate Hueco Mundo and retrieve Kurosaki." Rukia says, "We will wait until they report back and then we'll decide what to do. It shouldn't be long until they report back, they've been gone for a few days."

"A few days? How long have I been out?"

"It's been three days." Rukia replies, "the soul society launched the investigation team almost instantly."

"It doesn't matter. I'm going." Ishida argues, "I'm not going to leave Kurosaki's fate in the hands of the soul society." He says bitterly. Rukia frowns deeply at his comment but doesn't argue knowing the reason behind Ishida's distrust of the soul society.

"Ishida." Sado speaks calmly, "We'll wait."

Ishida glares at his friend, "If it were any of us taken he wouldn't hesitate, regardless of what the soul society says." With that Ishida leaves the room and finds Urahara and Yoruichi.

"I know what you're going to ask, Ishida-san." Urahara speaks as Ishida enters the front of the store where he lounges lazily. "And you already know my answer."

"This is a convenient moment for everyone to start listening to the soul society." Ishida spits.

"In this I trust the soul society. They know how powerful Kurosaki-san is, they know they'll need that power to defeat Aizen." Urahara says. "If they fail in their investigation then I will interfere, but not before."

That night the soul society concludes their investigation. Rukia receives a Hell Butterfly carrying the news. She relays what it says out loud. "We have concluded the investigation into the kidnapping of substitute soul reaper Kurosaki Ichigo. Upon investigation we have recovered-" She pauses, her face contorting in pain, "We have recovered his body." Inoue gasps and falls to her knees. "Furthermore, we have had the head captain of the fourth division examine the body. It is her findings that Kurosaki Ichigo is - dead."

Inoue is now sobbing loudly on the floor, Sado is quick to comfort her, putting his hand on her shoulder before she pulls him into a hug. Rukia stands there in shock at the report she just received. Renji leans against the wall, covering his face with his hand.

"Is that all it says" Ishida asks, his voice strained.

"No, it continues. We will be releasing his body to his family as well as the full medical report. We will no longer continue to investigate this matter after uncovering these findings."

Ishida feels like he's about to scream. He turns and runs out of the building, and keeps running down the street not to any particular location. He needs to run, to process what just happened. A thought keeps repeating in his head: it's your fault.


	2. Memories in the Rain

Chapter 2

Memories in the Rain

Rain pours from the sky steadily soaking him to the bone. It's dark outside, nearing midnight. The pavement beats consistently under his feet as he thinks back to that fateful moment. His body is on fire, legs screaming in pain, lungs burning but he keeps running. He can't stop. The thoughts in his him are rushing as fast as his legs. Those few moments before everything went wrong are all he has now.

 _It's been months since he finally came to realize it and at first he thought he could ignore it, he thought he could continue on like nothing had changed. But it didn't work. Ishida found he was too observant for his own good. He found he could read the subtle changes on his face, when he was being polite or when he was genuinely happy. He could tell what went on in his mind, how his chocolate eyes would reveal everything if you could read them. Ishida found he was too observant for his own good, and he couldn't ignore it._

He ran without direction or purpose, completely on autopilot. He feared what would happen when he finally stopped, and he knew he would have to stop eventually. It all seemed surreal, the fight, getting injured, waking up in Urahara's shop and finding his friend was dead. This had to be a bad dream. He found himself in that park they first battled together in, thrown back in nostalgia of a simpler time. He kept going though.

 _He wondered when it started had it been at the park? Or was it in the soul society? Or was it later on? He wasn't sure but it was there, slowly growing like a flame overtaking a forest, growing in size and heat until it overtakes everything. It had overtaken everything about him, it occupied his thoughts without fail. He couldn't ignore the feeling building so he decided to ignore the source and hope that would lessen the effects. So he starts avoiding him._

He runs past the Kurosaki Family Clinic and has to bite back tears. Inside is a happy family. A family that already went through the loss of a loved one and did not deserve to go through it again.

 _It was during a clear night Ishida learned of the fate of Ichigo's mother. Ishida was fighting a hollow by the river when Ichigo came crashing in and delivered the finishing blow._

" _Kurosaki. What are you doing here?"_

" _I felt a hollow and came to check it out, I guess you beat me to it."_

" _I had it under control, you did not need to interfere."_

" _I know, but I figured I'd stop by and say hi. It's been awhile since we've talked anyways, Ishida." He says smiling warmly._

" _Yeah, I've been busy." He lies._

" _Yeah." Kurosaki stares out at the water, his eyes traveling to somewhere else. They stand there in silence for a few minutes, taking in the peace of the night._

" _My mother died here." He says finally._

 _Ishida doesn't know what to say, how to react._

" _I was young and couldn't tell the difference between souls and humans yet. It was a rainy day and the river was high and raging. I saw a girl standing here on the banks and was worried about her being swept away. I ran to help her, my mother ran after me trying to stop me- to warn me. It happened in a flash and at the time I didn't understand what had happened, all I knew was it was my fault."_

" _Kurosaki-"_

" _I know now, it wasn't an ordinary soul, it was a hollow. A hollow who would lure people with high spiritual pressure to him and then devour them. He lured me in but my mother saved me, she was killed instead. I know now that there wasn't anything I could've done to save her but I'll always feel guilty." He closes his eyes and sets his jaw, trying to keep his emotions contained._

" _Kurosaki." Ishida finally spoke again, Ichigo's attention snapping to him. "It's okay to feel guilty, but it wasn't your fault." Ishida sighs heavily, "I feel the same way about my Grandfather." Ishida says reminiscently._

 _They stay there and watch the water for another hour in perfect silence, nothing needed to be said. Both of them understand each other perfectly._

Ishida's phone goes off for the twelfth time that night, it's probably Inoue trying to find him. He doesn't bothering answering, he already knows how that conversation would go.

 _That day Ichigo decided to see why his friend had been so scarce lately. When confronted Ishida was struck with how to react. He could come clean, admit what had been going on with him or he continue on the way things had been. When pressed he made his decision, for better or worse, to concede. That's when everything went wrong._

Ishida found himself where it happened, a few blocks away from the school. All the evidence of a battle had been replaced, repaired by the soul society quickly. He stops. He stands where he stood three days ago with his friend. He stands where his dead friend last stood. Dead. He stops. He looks around replaying the events in his mind, reliving the final moments of Kurosaki Ichigo. He stops running. He looks to the sky where he was carried away. He can't tell if the liquid on his face was rain or tears, or both. He failed, no matter what Urahara says, he failed. He was unable to save his friend and because of that Kurosaki Ichigo is dead. He stops running and realizes his friend is dead. The weight of what happened finally hits Ishida as he falls to his knees, landing on the ground with a splash from the rain. He screams, his voice laced with agony, and then he sobs. As he sits there he finally finishes saying what he was telling Ichigo.

"Kurosaki, I love you."

Ishida finally makes it back to his small apartment. He peels his soaked clothes off him, takes a warm shower and re-dresses. He decides to check his phone, 17 missed calls and 23 unread text messages. Almost all of them from Inoue. He hits redial and she picks up almost instantly.

"Ishida-kun?"

"Inoue-san."

"Oh thank god, we were so worried about you after you took off like that, where are you, are you okay?" She blurts out worriedly.

"I'm fine, I'm at my apartment." He replies calmly.

"Okay." She sounds relieved, "Urahara want's us all to come back to his place tomorrow morning to discuss things. For now you should get some rest Ishida-kun."

"You as well, Inoue-san. I'll see you in the morning." He says quietly before hanging up.

That night he dreams of Kurosaki being dragged away and tortured, he calls out his name in pain, pleading for Ishida to come save him but it's no use, no one can save him from his fate. He sees Kurosaki's damaged body, bruised and beaten laying on an autopsy table, lifeless. The corpse looks up at him, blood pouring from it's wounds. "Why?" It rasps, "Why didn't you come save me?"

Ishida wakes with a start, jolting upright. He rubs his hand over his face and prepares some coffee, it's morning already. With some sleep his head seems to think more clearly, he analyzes what happened more clearly before something strikes him. He foregoes the coffee, leaving it half prepared on the counter as he hastily pulls on clothes and rushes out of his house and to Urahara's shop.

Mina Luryia: Thank you for your review! There is much more to come, so stay tuned!


	3. Denial

Chapter Three

Denial:

Ishida sprints to Urahara's shop. With each step he is more and more convinced that Kurosaki Ichigo is not dead. He bursts into the front door of the shop, not bothering with pleasantries. It's terribly early in the morning and while most households would still be asleep at this time, he finds Urahara lounging in the main sitting room reading at the table.

"Ishida-San!" The man exclaims, looking up from his reading, "you are extremely early, the others won't be here for several hours."

"I am aware," Ishida replies, "I needed to discuss something with you, Urahara-San."

"Oh?" Urahara coos in curiosity.

"There's a few things that don't make sense regarding... Kurosaki's death." Ishida struggles saying those last words as if they were poison in his mouth. "Why would Aizen go through the trouble of capturing him unharmed just to kill him"

Urahara hides his expression behind his hat and remains silent.

"Furthermore," Ishida continues, "There's a chance the body they recovered is false. Aizen managed to almost flawlessly recreate his own body with his 'perfect hypnosis', he could have done the same thing here with Kurosaki's body."

Urahara sighs heavily, "These are very good points Ishida-San, but I have already explored these possibilities. Knowing Aizen he would have tried to manipulate Kurosaki-San, he would attempt to use his perfect hypnosis on him or some other form of control to ensure he had access to Kurosaki-san's power. He would try to turn Kurosaki-San, he would try to make him his subordinate but Kurosaki-San is strong both physically and in his convictions. Aizen would not be successful in turning his loyalties. I surmise that once he failed to gain Kurosaki-san's support he would have neutralized him. He was Aizen's biggest threat, if Aizen could not gain his power then killing him would be his only option." Urahara looks up, his face no longer obstructed by his hat. He looks disheveled, there are deep bags under his eyes and his normal cheerful demeanor has completely vanished, replaced by a gloomy shell of the man Ishida has come to know. "As for the body that was recovered, I trust Captain Unohana not to be fooled by the same rouse twice. However when the body is delivered I will make a full examination. Furthermore Aizen was able to disguise his body using perfect hypnosis but none of us have been placed under hypnosis so when the body is delivered we will be able to tell definitively if it is in fact Kurosaki Ichigo recovered. The body should be arriving before your friends come so we will all have a chance to see it and pay our respects this morning."

With that Urahara excuses himself and exits the room, leaving Ishida alone. He sits down at the table and waits in perfect silence for his friends to arrive.

It's several hours later when Sado comes walking in, his shoulders hunched over in defeat. The color has drained from his face, and while Sado isn't a big conversationalist there's a distinct difference between normal quiet Sado and Sado who's too depressed to talk. He nods his head politely at Ishida as he enters the room, Ishida attempts to smile back at him but fails miserably. Rukia and Inoue are the next to arrive, they come in together, with Rukia clutching Orihime's arm and navigating her through the room. Orihime herself looks to be in a daze, her eyes are puffy and her face flushed, it is clear that she has been crying. Renji arrives last, the air around him seems strained, filled with anger.

They all sit around the small circular table as Urahara hands them each cups of tea. "This has been and especially troubling turn of events for all of us. I have spoken to Kurosaki Isshin, he agreed to allow me to assess Kurosaki-San's recovered body. The body was delivered just recently. I have begun preliminary examinations and am awaiting results from blood panels. I can definitively tell you that this body has not been fabricated through Aizen's hypnosis technique, however I will not give you my final conclusion regarding the body until all of my tests have been completed, it will just be a few hours. Until then you guys can speak amongst yourselves, this is a tragic event, you five need to be there for each other."

Inoue is the first to talk, "I cannot believe this is happening" she whispers and before anyone can reply she's sobbing again. Rukia is quick to pull the sobbing girl into a hug, her eyes watering as well.

Renji slams his fist into the table, "Damn it!" He yells, "Why does it have to be him. I'm going to fucking kill Aizen and everyone if his goddamn espada. They'll pay for this."

"Renji." Rukia tries to reign him in.

"What?!"

"Aizen knew where to hit us, he knew what would hurt us the most. Everyone of us wants to run in and exact revenge but we must not act rashly, if we just storm Las Noches without a plan we'll all end up dead. Ichigo wouldn't want that." She says calmly.

"Kuchiki-San is right, Abari." Ishida adds quietly.

"Like you're one to talk, Ishida." Renji snaps back.

"What does that mean?" Ishida responds.

"You were there and you didn't stop them." Renji states. Ishida glares at him, he wants to object to say it's not his fault but he blames himself.

"Renji!" Rukia snaps causing Renji to flinch and go quiet.

"We don't even know for sure if the body is truly his." Ishida whispers. Chad hums in acknowledgment. "I refuse to believe it until we know for sure."

They sit in relative silence for another hour, occasionally speaking quietly amongst themselves about what will happen if they find that is really Ichigo's corpse. Finally Urahara returns, he looks more tired than before, in his hand he holds a stack of papers. Everyone sits completely still, anxious to hear the results.

"I have completed my examination." He says his voice strained, "all my tests came back positive. This body is in fact Kurosaki Ichigo"

The air is thick, nobody moves, nobody breathes, nobody speaks. They all sit there paralyzed.

Urahara continues, "At this time you are welcome to see the body if you would like to pay your respects and say goodbye, Kurosaki Isshin will be here in two hours to retrieve the body and make preparations."

They all agree to take turns seeing Ichigo so that they have privacy.

Everyone lets Inoue go first, knowing how she obviously felt about him. She comes out of the room where he's kept shaken, tears rolling down her face but tries to smile nonetheless.

Sado goes next, they have been close friends for years, always had each other's backs. When he emerges he looks the same except the coin he wears around his neck is missing.

Renji follows after, although they haven't known each other for long, after they were done trying to kill each other they became good friends. Their similar personalities made them seem almost like brothers. He looks less angry after seeing Ichigo and more deflated.

Rukia gets up from her seat and enter the room after Renji returns. They were best friends, they understood each other perfectly. They could rely on each other for anything. Once in the room, alone with the lifeless remains of her closest friend Rukia finally breaks down and sobs openly. She stays in there for almost an hour holding his hand and crying.

Finally it's Ishida's turn. He takes a deep breath and readies himself for what he's about to face. Inside lies Kurosaki Ichigo on a metal examination table, a white sheet covering his body. He takes another deep breath and pulls the sheet down away from his face. He feels bile in the back of his throat. Familiar orange hair contrasts against the white sheet. He looks down and sees Sado's necklace on Ichigo's neck. The pulls the sheet further down, down to his hips, and sees the various scars Ichigo had collected over the corse of several fights. He places his hand on his chest, it's cold to touch unlike the warmth Ichigo always radiated. He trails his hand up his collarbone to his face, cupping his cheek lightly. "I'm sorry Kurosaki," he murmurs, "but I'm not going to believe it unless I check." His hand go up to Ichigo's eye. "Forgive me." He states as he gently peels open his eyelid.

Ishida was too observant for his own good. He knew every detail of Ichigo's chocolate eyes, whenever they made eye contact Ishida would become mesmerized, and soon he found himself to be an expert when it came to Ichigo's eyes. They weren't completely brown, if you looked closely enough you could see a thin ring of green around his pupils. He could tell his thoughts, his mood, his feelings just by looking at Kurosaki's eyes.

When Ishida carefully pulled back an eyelid he was shocked at what he saw. They were dark, nearly black, nothing close to the golden brown orbs Ishida has come to know. He scowls, re-covers the body with the sheet and storms out of the room.

The others could sense his anger when he emerges. "Ishida-Kun, what's wrong?" Inoue sniffs.

"That's not him" Ishida whispers.

"Ishida I know it's a lot to take in but-" Rukia states before she's interrupted.

"That's not him!" Ishida states loudly this time. "His eyes, they're too dark, it can't be him."

"I'm sorry Ishida-San but all my tests came back positive. The DNA matched, that is Kurosaki Ichigo." Urahara states calmly.

"That's not Kurosaki."

"Maybe you are over analyzing this Ishida-kun." Inoue says gently.

"I refuse to believe that the body in there is Kurosaki." He says before he storms out of the building.


	4. Isolation

Chapter Four:

It had been a week. He refused to go to the funeral. His phone was overrun with messages from Inoue and Sado, he was pretty sure his voicemail box was now full. He read the messages and listened to the voicemails but never responded. He eventually turned off his phone after receiving an especially frustrating voicemail.

"Ishida-kun, I know you are getting these messages, we are all worried about you. We are all meeting at Urahara's shop tomorrow evening to discuss everything. There's been a recent development concerning Kurosaki Isshin. Urahara told us that he requested a Gigai of Kurosaki-kun be made for Kon to use. I guess Kurosaki-san isn't ready to inform his daughters of Kurosaki-kun's death and has decided to use Kon to fill Kurosaki-kun's place-"

At hearing that Ishida threw his phone at the wall, shattering it.

He wasn't dead, he thought to himself, Kurosaki is not dead. This had become his mantra he said to himself several times a day.

He began attending classes again the next day, using the excuse of a family emergency for his recent lack of attendance. He wasn't prepared for it. To see the bright orange hair and cheerful smile he had come to know. He could immediately tell it was Kon from his spiritual pressure, but the gigai was very convincing. As was Kon's acting, he acted normal, he was mostly quiet unless irritated, he interacted with Keigo and Mizuiro comfortably, and as far as it seemed none of his classmates seemed to notice. That was until Tatsuki arrived. Upon entering the classroom she set her bag on her desk and went around greeting her friends, but the longer she was in the classroom she began to glare at Kon, trying to figure out what had changed with her childhood friend. Soon enough class had started and Ishida sat there and pretended to pay attention. Inoue showed up an hour into class and kept throwing worried glances towards Ishida who ignored her altogether. When class was dismissed for lunch Ishida was quick to leave the room before Inoue could stop him to talk.

She started after him but was stopped, "Orihime," Tatsuki grabbed her shoulder lightly, "We need to talk," She said quietly, a troubled expression on her face. They headed out to the field and sat under their usual tree.

"What's wrong Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime asks concerned.

"It's Ichigo." Tatsuki whispers, "There's something off about him. Like he doesn't feel right. I can always sense him, like I can sense you, or Sado, or even Ishida; but now he feels like a completely different person."

"Maybe he's just going through some changes." Orihime lies. She looks away, hiding her face, she has never been good at lying. "I should go Tatsuki-chan, I have to catch up on the school work I missed these last few days." She says before getting up and leaving before Tatsuki can stop her.

Orihime's explanation only deepened Tatsuki's curiosity on the matter. Ishida was found in the library reading up on their literature homework. Tatsuki sits next to him, though he does not acknowledge her. "Ishida, we need to talk."

"About what, Arisawa-san." He asks, not looking up from his book.

"About Ichigo." Ishida freezes, "I know there's something going on with him but Orihime won't tell me what."

Ishida says nothing and turns his attention back to his book.

"Ishida, tell me what's going on," Tatsuki pushes, "I'm not completely clueless, I know Ichigo has powers, and so do you, and Orihime and Sado."

Ishida looks at Tatsuki surprised, she was always very observant. Ishida sighs, "You cannot tell anyone what I am about to tell you, not even Orihime; and you must act like you always have or you will raise suspicions." Ishida says sternly. "The person in class today is not Kurosaki Ichigo. His name is Kon, he's an artificially created soul in an artificially created body, filling in for Kurosaki."

"If that's not Ichigo, where is he?"

"The official report is that he's dead." Ishida says coldly, "But I don't believe that."

Ishida spends the rest of lunch period explaining the recent events. By the end of it Tatsuki looks close to tears.

"So," she whispers, "Either he's dead or he's captured and held at the mercy of his enemy." She burys her head in her hands. "Thanks for telling me, Ishida. I promise I won't say anything."

Ishida manages to get through the whole school day without speaking to Inoue.

The next day Sado is back in class. It'll be hard for him to avoid both of them, Ishida thinks. Luckily before class they are both too occupied by their other friends, thought Ishida finds them staring at him often. Lunch period doesn't go as smoothly. As soon as class is dismissed Ishida is out of his chair and headed for the door when he finds his path blocked by the mountain that is Sado.

"Ishida. We need to talk."

"Later." Ishida says firmly before trying to push past Sado.

"No, now Ishida, you've been avoiding us for over a week now." Sado says, not backing down.

"We don't need to talk, there's nothing for us to talk about." Ishida insists. But Sado is done with Ishida's avoidance, he grabs Ishida's shoulder firmly and walks them out of the classroom and to the roof. Ishida could easily get out of Sado's grip but decides he should get this conversation over with.

When they reach the roof Sado lets go, "you can't keep avoiding the truth forever, Ishida, you need to face this."

"No I don't, there is not anything for me to face yet. That body in Urahara's possession is not Kurosaki."

"You're basing your entire argument off of what? The color of a dead man's eyes? Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?!" Sado say's irritated.

"Yes." Ishida responds, "I understand if you think I'm crazy or something but stop trying to tell me to give up and accept his death, I will never accept his death."

"Ishida you're blinding yourself from the truth! Is this because of what Renji said? You know it's not your fault." Sado raises his voice in frustration. "It's like you are ignoring the truth to spare yourself the burden of feeling guilty."

"It is my fault." Ishida hisses, "I'm not afraid to admit that, and wouldn't it be better if he were dead. That way I could have closure!" He starts to shout, tears threatening to spill. "But he's not, and for all I know that could be worse than being dead. If he was dead I could be comforted in the fact that his soul would be reborn but instead every night I get to lay awake and imagine all the cruel things Aizen is doing to the person I love most." Tears are streaming down his face now, he realizes what he just said and his face burns red.

"Ishida-kun…" Inoue is standing in the doorway to the roof, eyes wide. "You were in love with Kurosaki-kun?" She asks quietly.

Ishida looks away, and mutters, "I am in love with him, stop talking to me like he's dead." Before he uses Hirenkyaku to disappear. Luckily Sado and Inoue don't pursue him, not like it would matter, he's much faster than them. He skips the rest of school that day and spends the day wandering around aimlessly. He's not dead, he thinks, but is that preferable? Aizen is cruel and sick, he has no moral boundaries and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.


	5. A Year

Chapter Five

A Year

Renji sat at the table in Urahara's, it had been five days since the body of Kurosaki Ichigo had been undeniably confirmed as authentic. Five days since they all had to face the reality of their friend's death, all of them but Ishida, who refused to attend any meetings or speak to any of them on the matter. Urahara had called the meeting to discuss what would happen next. He was surprised to see the older Kurosaki sitting at the table next to Urahara. Inoue, Rukia, and Sado were also in attendance.

"I know you all must be surprised to see me." Kurosaki Isshin spoke quietly, it was strange to hear him so calm, usually he was high energy and cheerful. "I have made a decision on how to handle Ichigo's passing."

"Kurosaki-san has asked me for help in this matter," Urahara cut in, "He has decided that it would be easier on his daughters if he hid the matter of Kurosaki Ichigo's fate with them."

Renji seethes at these words, "So you are just going to hide his death from his sisters?"

"Renji!" Rukia scolds, "This is not your decision, nor your place to judge."

"This is not a decision I've reached lightly." Kurosaki Isshin continues, "If I were tell my daughters about Ichigo's death I would also have to explain to them the existence of the soul society and their own natural talents. I would rather spare them that knowledge, and also spare them the pain of losing their brother."

"Kurosaki-san asked me to create a gigai of Kurosaki Ichigo-san. Kon the mod soul will inhabit the body and resume Kurosaki Ichigo's role."

"You're replacing Ichigo with a goddamned Mod-soul? Are you fucking kidding me?" Renji was done, he couldn't handle what he was hearing.

"Renji!" Rukia snapped, punching him harshly in his side.

"I understand if this is hard for you to accept and I am not asking you to be his friend or that he replace Ichigo in terms of your friendship, all I ask is that you guys do not reveal my son's true fate to my daughters or anyone else." Kurosaki Isshin says calmly.

And with that the meeting dispersed. Rukia, Sado and Inoue stuck around to pay their respects to Kurosaki Isshin, but Renji couldn't handle it anymore. He left the shop and opened the senkaimon and returned to the soul society. He went to that courtyard in the soul society where Ichigo defeated him, where he considered their friendship started. Took a deep breath and let it bubble inside him. He finally let his feelings pour out, he screamed. An angry sob of despair, frustration and self hatred. He stood there and screamed until his throat was raw, tears were streaming down his cheeks. He cursed in his head. He cursed Isshin for not honoring his dead son, he cursed Urahara for helping Isshin, he cursed Ishida for denying the truth and cursed him further for allowing Ichigo to be taken, he cursed Aizen for taking his friend away from him. And deep down he cursed himself for failing his friend, for being fooled by Aizen, for falling for his ruse all those years and because he was too daft to see through the trick his friend was dead.

A month had past and while the death of Ichigo was still fresh in everyone's minds things had returned to some semblance of normalcy. Inoue and Sado found themselves becoming friends with Kon, who was not as high strung and crazy as they initially thought. Ishida was still avoiding them, though they were civil towards each other, Ishida refused to converse past bare formalities.

Inoue had added a picture to the altar she kept in memorial for her brother, which also now shared its space with a picture of Ichigo smiling brightly. Everynight before bed she would speak with them. Her conversations with her brother were always the same, updates on how school was, on her friends and her new recipies. However her conversations with Ichigo were sporadic, but mostly they went something like this:

"Kurosaki-kun, how are you doing? I hope you are well. Kuchiki-kun said your soul would be reborn into the soul society. I hope you're happy there." She smiles weakly, "I really miss you," she starts crying, "Everyday I wait for you to come to class with your usual scowl, and I see a kid with bright orange hair and everyone calls him Kurosaki-kun but it's not you. He smiles too much to be you, I loved seeing you smile but you don't smile the Kon-kun does." She sniffles and rubs her eyes, "I.. I wish it were me. I wish I had died instead of you. Everyone depends on you, everyone loves you, you have family who need you, I'm not as important as you. I can't defeat Aizen like you could, the soul society needs you." She hangs her head in shame, "I wish I had taken your place. I wish I had died instead of you." She says firmly determined, "You would be so mad at me for saying that. You would probably yell at me for saying something like that. I know you would do anything to keep any of us safe, even give your life but… I'm not as important as you. It should've been me."

Two months had gone by and Sado had recently stopped coming to school. He found himself stuck. Before he had gone to school to see his friends but with Ishida avoiding everyone, Rukia and Renji back in the soul society and Inoue in a constant state of despair he found no reason to attend class to socialize.

Sado found himself again at a point in his life where he had no purpose. He would sleep go to work and repeat, he had given up his hobbies, quit his band and only worked the bare minimum hours to afford rent. He found himself drained of all energy, even the simplest tasks left him feeling exhausted. Before when he found himself devoid of purpose like this Ichigo had stumbled into his life and given him meaning, given him something to fight for but now he had nothing to fight for, nothing to die for, nothing to live for.

A year passes and slowly everyone recovers from their loss, Sado finally goes back to school after a firm lecture from Rukia, Inoue finally comes to terms with the loss of the man she was in love with and Renji's anger burns out.

On the anniversary Rukia visits Ichigo's gravesite. Since to most people Ichigo is still alive he does not have an official grave. Instead his remains lay in the grave next to his mothers, with a beautiful headstone that remains nameless, instead it reads: _A son, A brother, A protector. You are missed._

She sits by the grave and lights some incense. "Hey, Ichigo." She says warmly, "Can you believe it's been a year since we've seen each other. I hope you're happy wherever you are in the soul society. Everythings finally pretty much gone back to normal. Except for Ishida, I worry about him, he still refuses to accept your death. Other than that things have been good. The soul society is finishing up making preparations for facing Aizen and his army, we've even convinced the Vizard to help us, they miss you too. Anyway I should get going, I miss you, and I hope I run into your soul again in the soul society." She says as she stands to leave, " Wherever you are I hope you are at peace and happy."

A year has passed since that fateful day, a year spent sitting in the dark. Kurosaki Ichigo sits curled up in his cell, chained to the wall. The door opens and he cringes at the sudden intrusion of light. He curls up in a ball dreading what comes next.

"Kurosaki!" A voice calls out. At first Ichigo has a hard time placing where he knows that voice from. He associates that voice with safety, with friendship. "Kurosaki!" He looks up, it had been an eternity since he last heard that voice, he's long since lost track of time. In the doorway stands a dark haired boy clad in white sporting a bright blue glowing bow.

"I-Ishida?"


	6. A Year: Part Two

Chapter 6

A Year: Part 2

Ishida refused to give up. Everyone was so eager to accept the 'truth', so eager to admit defeat. But he refused. Deep within his soul he could feel it, he could feel that Kurosaki Ichigo was still alive, out there somewhere. Only a short time had gone by and everyone was just moving on with their lives. Ishida became accustomed to seeing Kon at school, and while he disliked seeing the mod soul impersonating his missing friend, he found that Kon was much more tolerable than he previously thought. Kon would often chat with him, even taking their lunch breaks together on the roof when Sado and Orihime were busy. Kon was one of the few people who didn't constantly try to convince Ishida that Ichigo was dead. "I honestly hope you're right, Ishida." The mod soul said during lunch one day. Sado had skipped school again and Orihime was eating in the field with Tatsuki. Though Ishida had been avoiding them for weeks, trying not to talk to them after his confession on the roof. "I hope you're right about him not being dead. Because that means that some day he'll come back and I can stop pretending. I feel so uncomfortable sometimes, taking his life. It was okay for when he went to the soul society to rescue Rukia-chan because that was temporary, I knew he would come back. But if he's dead then I have to spend my whole life pretending to be someone I'm not. I feel like I'm stealing his life, his friends, his family, his name."

"Why pretend to be him then, if you hate it so much?" Ishida asks.

"Kurosaki saved my life. Actually he's saved me several times. I owe him my life, this is the least I can do to repay that debt." Kon says solemnly.

"He wouldn't want you to waste your life to repay a 'debt' that he won't even hold you accountable for."

"I hope you're right about him being alive, because until he comes back I will take his place." Kon states.

Ishida pursues any means possible to get into Hueco Mundo. Urahara flat out turns him down, "Ishida-San I can not in good conscience send you to Hueco Mundo to chase down the impossible. Alone you stand no chance of survival and nobody else is willing to risk their life to go find out what we already know. Kurosaki Ichigo is dead. We have physical proof of this, I wish it wasn't so but it's the truth."

"Rather convenient for you to gain a conscious at this moment, Urahara-San." Ishida speaks politely but his words are laced with venom.

Next he seeks out an unlikely source. He makes his way through dimly lit halls to the large wooden door leading into the office. He takes a breath, collects his thoughts, enters the office confidently. Inside Ishida Ryuken sits filling out paperwork. He doesn't look up when his son enters the room, "Uryu." He says, both a statement and a question.

"I need a way into Hueco Mundo," the younger Ishida states, wasting no time with formalities. "Is there a way for a Quincy to get there."

"I am unsure," Ryuken answers honestly, "if there was a way that knowledge died with your grandfather."

"I see." Uryu responds, "Ryuken." He says as a dismissal in place of a proper goodbye.

"You're wasting your time, Uryu. As much as I hate to admit it, Urahara Kisuke is never wrong about these things. When it comes to science and development I trust him." Ryuken speaks as Uryu opens the door to leave.

"There's a first for everything, Urahara-San is a genius but everyone makes mistakes." Uryu says calmly as he exits the office.

While Ryuken did not have the information he needed he did give Ishida an idea. Ishida sought out his grandfather's journals, initially underestimating how studious the man was. Inside his fathers study of the family home were shelves of journals written by his grandfather, enough books to take up the entire bookcase. It makes sense why he would've recorded this much, he was one of the last Quincy trying to preserve the secrets of his race. Inside one of those books, Ishida told himself, was the answer he was looking for.

Four months had gone by and he had gone through half of the journals. He figured he would've been done by now but the journals were coded so that if they fell into the wrong hands Quincy secrets would not be lost. Each journal had a different code, some easier than others, first he would have to crack the code for the journal and then translate the text before he got to really study it. And while in the last four months he's learned a great deal about Quincy history, he had yet to find anything that would help him.

Time passes gradually, he pours all of his spare time into the journals as the anniversary approaches. His relationship with Orihime and Sado has improved some. They eat lunch together again but there is little conversation. However it is nice to be around them again, even if it's in silence he appreciates their presence.

His search for a way into the world of the hollows brings him knowledge of many other techniques, including a Quincy healing technique using the basics of ratsotengai, and how to form reishi weapons without a cross or seeleschnider.

On the eve of the anniversary Ishida finds something useful. 'While Quincy cannot open the gargantua on their own, there are ways for them to access it, though these ways are dangerous and extremely recommended against.' The text reads, 'A Quincy lacks the power to open the door themselves and therefore must slip in while the door is already open. The easiest way to achieve this is to wait until a hollow is emerging from Hueco Mundo and slip in while the gargantua is open. However this technique is dangerous, when you enter the hollow may pursue you. Furthermore you have no control of where in Hueco Mundo you will end up.'

Ishida retreads the passage ten times. Then he begins to pack and prepare. It's been one year from the day Kurosaki was taken from him and he finally has found a way to bring him home.


	7. Kurosaki Ichigo

Chapter six

Kurosaki Ichigo

By the time the kido wears off he's strapped down to a steel table. He strains, fights as hard as he can to free himself. One thing pulses in his mind rythmically, like the beat of a drum: _Ishida._ He's got to get free. He's got to go save him. This is all his fault, he allowed himself to be caught off guard, and now Ishida's going to pay the price.

"Stop fidgeting, it is very annoying." Aizen slurs lazily.

"Fuck off!" Ichigo grunts, redoubling his efforts to free himself. "Let me go!"

"Now Kurosaki-san, why would I go through all this trouble of catching you just to let you go at your request." Aizen smirks darkly, "Don't say such foolish things."

"What do you even want with me?!"

"Ah, yes, I suppose you have a right to know." Aizen stands from the stool he was sitting on and begins pacing. The room is grand, almost like a ballroom, with a large white table and a lone throne grandly placed on a raised platform on the north side. Aizen's shoes clack against the cold marble floor as he paces. "Simply put, I want your power. I would wish for you to give it willingly but, if need be, I am prepared to take it by force."

"So what, you want me to join you?" Ichigo asks.

"Basically, yes."

Ichigo begins chuckling, a low and dangerous rumble. "You know," He looks Aizen straight in the eyes, smirking. "Urahara-san always said you were so fuckin' smart, but I think he was wrong."

"Oh?" Aizen coos in curiosity.

"Because if you thought I would ever join you, that I would ever betray my friends; then you are the biggest fucking idiot I've ever met." Ichigo deadpans, staring Aizen down with dark and serious eyes. "I will never help you."

"What a shame." Aizen sighs, turning his back to the young man. "Though that is to be expected, I suppose. Szayel, bring the Hogyoku."

"Of course, Aizen-sama," a voice out of Ichigo's vision speaks. He hears footsteps depart, clacking on the floor.

"You see, Kurosaki-san, you may be unwilling to join my forces but there may be a part of you willing." Aizen turns around to face him, "Your hollow may very well jump at the opportunity of being in permanent control over your body."

Just at hearing that statement Ichigo feels the hollow welling inside of him, eager at the prospect. " _Don't you fucking dare."_ Ichigo warns the hollow.

" _Looks like I might be king soon, huh?"_ The creature responds.

Szayel returns with the Hogyoku, presenting it to Aizen with a deep bow. "Thank you, Szayel." Aizen states stiffly as he snatches away the small orb and brushes the espada off. "This, Kurosaki-san, is the Hogyoku. I am sure Urahara Kisuke has explained its function."

Ichigo glares back.

"Normally I would use this to create an arrancar from a powerful Hollow. I also unintentionally created the Vizard with this. You however are a vizard without the use of the Hogyoku. Haven't you ever wondered what you could become if you used the power of the Hogyoku on yourself?"

"No," Ichigo grunts, "Because I'm not a sick fuck like you."

"Call me what you will, at heart I am a scientist, and I am quite eager to start this experiment." Aizen approaches the incapacitated soul reaper. He looms over him, Hogyoku in hand. In an instant, Aizen thrusts the small orb into Ichigo's chest, which immediately absorbs the item. Ichigo screams in agony as his body loses control, his head is thrown back and the hollowfication process begins. White fluid flows out of his mouth, a hole painfully carves itself in his chest where the Hogyoku was forced. His hands and feet form sharp, pale claw; and red hair bursts out, growing in length until it reaches his lower back.

The mask stops forming, his eyes are black with bright orange irises. He leans forward in the chair, testing out the restraints.

"Hello, I am Aizen Sosuke," Aizen greets politely, "What is your name?"

"Don't have one really, King calls me Shiro though," the hollow replies.

"It is nice to meet you, Shiro." Aizen smiles, "I assume you heard all that I spoke to Kurosaki Ichigo about?"

"Yeah, you want me to take control, as long as I fight for you."

"Essentially yes, you are free to do whatever you wish, as long as when the time comes you help me defeat the soul society"

The hollow is silent as he considers the man's proposal. "I would keep control after you have reached your goal?"

"What you do afterwards is your choice. What I am able to offer you is an advantage, by using the Hogyoku I can turn Kurosaki Ichigo into an arrancar, which will make it much easier for you to keep control of this body. His body is not yet done transforming, if you do not agree I will stop the process."

"I'll do it."

"This does not guarantee control, but rather makes it easier for you to be in control."

"I getcha, just do it."

"It is already happening, soon the metamorphosis will be complete. Kurosaki Ichigo's soul will become more hollow than soul reaper." Aizen states. "When I remove the Hogyoku he will have a chance to fight for control. Ready yourself."

Shiro grunts in acknowledgment. Aizen's fingers wrap around the orb glowing in Ichigo's chest, yanking it out forcefully. Shiro lets out a loud howl.

 _Ichigo was ready, waiting for the moment the Hogyoku was removed. He ambushes the hollow, jumping at him with Zangetsu raised in the air. Ichigo brings the large blade down on the unsuspecting hollow. Shiro attempts to dodge but Ichigo is too quick and slashes through his shoulder._

" _You can't stay king forever," the hollow rasps, laying on the side of a skyscraper in Ichigo's mindscape. "'specially not now, you can feel it. I'm more powerful now, it won't be long before I get control."_

" _I will never relinquish control to you." Ichigo claims defiantly._

Shiro's howl quiets. Ichigo looks up, Aizen standing over him expectantly. "Oh, Kurosaki Ichigo." He coos, "I was not expecting you to prevail."

"Fuck off." Ichigo pants, "I've been fighting the fucking hollow for some time now, giving him a small advantage like this isn't gonna change anything. I'll still beat him."

"Then, I will have to lend him my assistance." Aizen smirks ominously. "I will enjoy breaking you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Aizen pulls out his zanpakto, holding it infront of Ichigo's face, "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

After Being exposed to the hypnosis process Aizen delivers a swift blow to Ichigo's head, knocking him unconscious.

He hears Ishida scream, Call out to help him. "Kurosaki! Please!" He struggles to reach him, to save his friend but something is holding him back. He feels a dull pain in his wrists, he looks down. He's chained to a wall out in the middle of the Hueco Mundo desert, sand whips around him in a harsh wind, scraping at his skin. The sky above is pitch black. Thick metal cuffs are shackled to his wrists and feet, warm blood dribbles down his arms from where the metal has dug into his skin. Ishida screams in agony, a shivering sob of pain. It vibrates through his entire being, a cry loud enough to reach him at this distance, filled with so much agony. Ichigo's mind wanders to the conversation they were having before this happened. _Ishida, what were you trying to tell me?_ The boy suddenly shrieks, high pitched and terrifying; but what is even more horrifying is that the shriek is suddenly cut off, replaced by empty silence.

"Ishida!" Ichigo shouts only to find himself in a different location. His arms are indeed shackled, he is stuck to a wall in a dim concrete room. _A dream_. The room is 10x10 with a cubby cut out of the the wall to serve as a bed. However it does not provide any comforts of a bed, the cubby is four feet wide, barely long enough for Ichigo to lay down, and just tall enough for him to sit up, the cold stone is only padded by a thin wool blanket. He shivers, noticing that his clothes are gone spare his underwear. In the center of his chest is a hole with blacked edges that runs through to his back. He reaches up and touches his face, finding that remains of his usual hollow mask linger, permanently attached. The left side of his jaw is covered by the smooth surface. His arms and legs are connected to the wall of his cubby, giving him enough room to lay down or stand close to the wall.

The steel door that seals the room screeches open. "Ah you are awake, Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen strolls in the room confidently. "I hope you find your quarters agreeable?"

"Go to hell!"

"How rude, you should know better not to say such things to such a gracious host." Aizen states, feigning insult. "Now Kurosaki, I must ask you one more time: relinquish control of your body to your hollow, or face the consequences."

"Fuck you!"

"What a shame. I suppose I have no choice then." Aizen sighs. He nods his head, signifying to Szayel to enter the room, pushing a stainless steel table of medical instruments. Aizen approaches Ichigo until they are inches away, he grabs the shackles and removes them from the wall. He yanks them viciously sending the teen flying to the middle of the room. There Aizen pulls the shackles through a ring on the floor, Ichigo is stuck on his knees with his arms pinned behind his back. Aizen circles around to come standing in front of the prone, orange haired boy; he softly grabs his face in his hand and trails his thumb down his jaw. "If you won't do as I say I will just have to use force!" He says with a soft whisper, before removing his hand and punching the boy in the face with intense force. The blow sends Ichigo sprawling on his side, his head painfully connects with the concrete floor.

Ichigo blinks a few times and shakes his head. He manages to struggle back to his knees and spits blood on Aizen's face. "Go fuck yourself!"

Aizen's expression contorts into rage, he draws back this leg and kicks Ichigo in the stomach, below the hole in his chest. Ichigo coughs harshly, blood splattering on the ground in front of him.

Aizen grabs a knife and begins to inspect it with admiration, a dangerous smile on his lips. "We are going to have some fun together, Kurosaki Ichigo."


End file.
